Since March we've been travelling quite a bit and I certainly have been neglecting my blog in a sense preferring the immediate ease and feedback of posting images to my Instagram account (@dyannewilson). I also kind of subscribe to the notion that the whole point of taking photographs is not to have to explain everything.

The whole point of taking pictures is so that you don’t have to explain things with words.

— Elliott Erwitt

Most recently we have returned from a week long trek to Edmonton and Jasper. The purpose of our trip to Edmonton was to have some car maintenance done which can't be done where we live in Yellowknife. Also my Epson 3800 printer needed some repair. It is a two day drive to Edmonton, which is the nearest major city where these kinds of services can be had. Since it is hardly worth driving two days just to get car and printer repairs done, and we had a bit of time before Eddie had to get back to work, and with Jasper being just another four hours drive away, we decided to go to Jasper for a mini three day holiday. I love being in Jasper. I love the mountains and the cool crisp air. I love how majestic they are and I contemplate how long they have been there. I imagined that my mother and father had visited the same place nearly 60 years ago and that now they were gone. It reminded me of how short our time is on this planet and to reflect on what is important. I think I could easily just spend a week there by myself with my camera and a notebook.

I finished reading David Duchemin's latest book: The Soul of the Camera where he argues that while the tools matter of course, it is only by reflecting our authentic selves and by having something to say can we make work that moves people. And before you can move others you must make photos that are important to you. He reminds us that life is not about photography but that photography is about life.

So then here are the photographs from our recent trip to Jasper and what I deem important. I hope you enjoy them.

Leaving Yellowknife

A teepee along highway 3

North Arm Park

About an hour and a half out of Yellowknife we stopped here so our pooch could have a break.

We planned to have a picnic along the way but when we discovered in North Arm how seriously bad the bugs were we changed our mind and decided to have lunch in the car with the windows rolled up. There were black flies just swarming the car.

It was difficult after to get a clean photograph of the highway due to the bugs having an unfortunate collision with our windshield.

We finally made it to Alberta.

A much needed rest for our much loved 8.5 year old Golden Doodle named Saydee

Edmonton, Alberta

Our nation celebrates its 150th birthday this coming weekend.

We were finally able to stop for a picnic on our way to Jasper from Edmonton

Jasper National Park

Always exciting to see the mountains! To celebrate Canada's 150th birthday the Government of Canada is offering free passes to any of its National Parks this year.

Cute cabin where we stayed.

Athabasca River

Couldn't believe the view!

Athabasca River

Lake reflection

Wildflowers

Family Portrait

Hiking along the Athabasca River

Mountain Range

Saydee at window

Jasper National Park

How could I not stop to take in this view.

The Hills are Alive

with the sound of music :)

An Elk nibbling on some grass

Tamarack

At the ruins of the original Miette Hotsprings

Portrait of Saydee

Saydee was getting tired of all the driving and wasn't wanting to get back in the car.

Bearded Mountain Goat and offspring

Path through forest to lake

Portrait of TJ and his niece

New friends we had met along the way. It was such a tender moment between the two of them I asked to make a portrait. An excuse to get out my XF56apd.

Contrast

I am attached to the contrast of white fluffy clouds juxtaposed with the harsh jagged edges of the mountain.

Diagonals

A composition principle is to use diagonals to create more dynamic images.

Maligne Lake Boat House

Red is also a strong colour often used in compositions.

Eagle.

I was wondering if this was the same eagle I photographed the year before.

Young black bear on roadside.

As with all good vacations, they come to an end and you have to return home and I wasn't looking forward to it as we decided we had to leave no later than 5am on Saturday morning to get home on Sunday before Eddie having to go back to work on the Monday. We were looking at a 20 hour drive plus errands to do in Edmonton!

Sigh. I had no idea my husband was planning to drive all the way in one fell swoop! As I mentioned we left before sunrise in Jasper on Saturday morning, drove to Edmonton, ran around town for three hours with a car rental and were back on the road towards High Level, Alberta and Yellowknife at noon. We would see the sunrise leaving Jasper National Park, witness an 11pm sunset in Fort Providence, NT and be home in Yellowknife as the sun was rising the next morning at 3:30am. It was all rather uneventful until we came across of herd of bison along highway three at 1:30am where we sat in our car wondering what to do while watching 50 or so bison go back and forth, and some were event mating on the highway. We hoped a transport trailer would come by in the other direction. In any event an opening cleared 25 minutes later and we were able to get past them without incident.

Sunrise leaving Jasper

Prairie like in Northern Alberta

Welcome to the 60th Parallel

An 11pm Sunset

Just south of Fort Providence

A midnight blue hour

Bison

First well behaved Bison grazing on the side of the road.

Herd of Bison

They come out to play in the early morning hours it seems.

Home!

We got home at 3:30am the next day just as the sun was rising. A long journey.

All images were shot with Fujfilm XT2 and the following lenses: XF16-55F2.8; XF50-140F2.8; XF35F2, XF23F2, XF10-24 and XF56F1.2apd. Images are processed in Lightroom using Camera Pro Neg High film simulation. Thank you to Fujifilm Canada for their continued support.

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